Bali bomber predicts militants will destroy Bush

In a bizarre courtroom outburst, an Indonesian sentenced to death for masterminding last year's Bali nightclub bombings boasted today that an army of holy warriors would soon destroy George Bush.

Imam Samudra claimed to have sent "5,000 troops from the sky" to India, Iraq and Turkey to fight against the US president.

"God willing, Allah's army will win," he yelled before being bustled from the court by police. It was unclear what he meant by his reference to the sky.

Samudra had been summoned as a witness today in the trial of Heri Hafidin, a minor suspect in the October 12 bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

He refused to testify, but he hugged Hafidin before taking the stand and describing himself to the court as a "holy warrior".

The 32-year-old computer expert was sentenced to death in September for planning and executing the attacks. He is appealing the sentence to the Supreme Court.

"God willing, Bush will soon be destroyed," he shouted at reporters.

Samudra has never shown any remorse for his role in the bloodiest terror attack since the September 11, 2001, strikes against the United States.

He used his appearances in court to shout anti-Western slogans and militant Islamic propaganda.

Hafidin is accused of helping hide Samudra when he was on the run in the weeks after the attack.

Indonesian authorities have arrested 35 people in connection with the Bali bombings. Twenty-nine have been convicted with jail terms ranging from seven years to life. Three have been sentenced to death.

The al-Qaeda-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiah has been blamed for the Bali attack as well as the August 5 bombing of the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta, which killed 12 people.